Mauritanian students appeal for their evacuation from Ukraine

By Mohamed al-Bakkai

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AA) - Mauritanian students on Friday appealed to their government in the North African country to evacuate them from Ukraine, amid a Russian military attack.

In a video shared by local media, the students said they are experiencing “difficult times” in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a military operation in the country.

The students complained that the Mauritanian authorities have not taken any measures to evacuate them from the European country.

According to the footage, most of the Mauritanian nationals in the country live in Kharkiv in northwestern Ukraine near the border with Russia.

There are around 40 Mauritanian students in Ukraine, according to estimates. No information, however, is available about the number of Mauritanian nationals in the country.

Russia’s military assault on Ukraine entered its second day on Friday, with the latest reports indicating that Russian troops were heading toward the capital Kyiv from several directions.

Putin had ordered the military intervention on Thursday, just days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.

He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy the neighboring country, but wanted to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, more than 130 people, including civilians, were killed on the first day of the military intervention.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara